1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a rocker assembly for an infant seat and, more particularly, to rocker assembly having a base and an intermediate platform rockable with respect to the base, the platform being configured for supporting an infant seat so that a child thereon may be rocked upon the energization of a motor within the base coupled to the platform.
2. Description Of The Background Art
For centuries it has been appreciated that a rocking motion applied to a reclining child can induce much needed sleep or otherwise relax such child. Historically, cradles have been provided with arcuate supports so that mothers may impart a side-to-side rocking motion to the child within in the cradle. For older children, as well as for adults, chairs with similar arcuate supports have been utilized for imparting a forward to rearward rocking motion. Such rocking chairs or seats have been well known and utilized for many years.
With the advances in technology, however, there has been a continuing effort to improve such rocking cradles and rocking chairs by imparting the desired rocking motion automatically to thereby free up the parent from the task of imparting the motion by hand. Most of such motion imparting mechanisms employed to date have required the use of a special cradle or a special seat for coupling such rocker or seat to the motion imparting mechanisms. As such, complexity and expense are added.
Because of the wide use of rockers and infant seats throughout the world, there is a need for a rocker assembly for supporting a child in a conventional infant seat wherein the infant seat is not of a special construction. Such rocker assemblies should be designed for the safety and comfort of the child in the infant seat, the convenience of the mother employing such infant seat and rocker assembly, and for long lasting usage at a minimum of cost to fabricate and use.
The patent literature shows that many of these design objectives are well recognized. It does not, however, provide a satisfactory solution. Consider for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,080 to Hafele; U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,343 to Kinslow; U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,946 to Cone and U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,680 to Wilson. All of these patents disclose infant seats for imparting a rocking motion to the infant seat and the infant reclining therein. But in all instances special construction is required of the infant seat to effect the desired motion. In addition, consider U.S. Pat. No. 2,979,735 to Helmer and U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,334 to Robinson. These patents disclose devices for supporting and rocking a child. But the supported child is in a bassinet rather than an infant seat. In Helmer the rocking motion is side-to-side rather than forward to backward as preferred in an infant seat while the motion in Robinson is in an orbital movement in a fixed plane. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,753 to Rios, a cradle is disclosed for a side-to-side movement but the cradle requires special rollers on its lower surface for proper positioning on a base. Lastly, note is taken of U.S. Pat. No. 3,125,767 to Griggs and U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,307 to Meade. These patents disclose mechanisms for imparting motion to a child-supporting device wherein a pair of modified U-shaped supports retain the child in position and effect its rocking.
As illustrated by the great number of prior patents and commercial devices, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to more safely, conveniently and economically rock infants. None of these previous efforts, however, suggests the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein. Prior rockers do not provide the benefits attendant with the present invention. The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects and advantages over the prior art devices through a new, useful and unobvious combination of component elements, through the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reduction in cost to manufacture and use, and through the utilization of only readily available materials.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved rocker assembly for an infant seat comprising in combination a base having upstanding lateral side walls defining an opening therebetween; an intermediate platform positioned within the opening and having an upper region adapted to receive an infant seat thereon; generally U-shaped link means having upper portions supported by the side walls, a lower horizontal portion adapted to receive a lower region of the platform thereon, and intermediate vertical portions coupling the upper and lower portions; and drive means coupling the platform and the base for inducing a rocking motion to the platform.
It is a further object of this invention to support conventional infant seats on an improved rocker assembly.
A further object of this invention is to provide a rocking motion to a child in a swing in a physical space which is smaller than the space required by conventional swings.
It is a further object of the present invention to economically and conveniently to impart an improved rocking motion to a child reclining in a conventional infant seat.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to rock children in a safe, comfortable, convenient and efficient manner.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.